1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to blind and shutter assemblies and particularly to louver swivel mounts therefor.
2. Prior Art
It has long been known and in common practice in the manufacture of louvered wood shutters to pivotally mount the louvers and such shutters between left and right stiles that are spaced apart between top and bottom rails, through use of wood dowels. The dowels extend from the louver ends and fit loosely into holes formed at equal intervals in the stiles. In such manufacture, one stile incorporates louvers that are pivotally fitted and maintained to one stile, as in a holding jig, while an opposite stile is fitted thereto and the top and bottom rails are secured to the stile ends to form the shutter. Obviously, this procedure is time consuming and labor intensive.
A number of arrangements have heretofore been implemented to speed up and simplify such shutter louver fitting process. In a patent to Economou, U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,687, each louver is fitted to the ends of a pivoting arm that is mounted to an adapter block which is arranged to fit in a longitudinal groove formed in each of the shutter left and right stiles. The adapter blocks stack, and the top and bottom rails close over the groove ends. A patent to Henley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,003, shows shutter rails that are grooved laterally, above pivot holes, to accommodate a dowel traveling therealong. Which dowel extends from the louver end, and is to drop into a pivot hole located below that groove. Also, a patent to Lukaszonas, U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,506, shows a use of "L" shaped clips that each have an outwardly extending pin. Each pin is for fitting into an appropriate hole that is formed in the shutter side, with the right angle clip leg for mounting to a louver end.
Where, of course, the above cited patents illustrate a recognition of the need for a simple and inexpensive way to pivotally mount individual louvers in a shutter frame, none anticipate either the combination of fixed and retracting pivots; their assembly and mounting in the shutter stiles; nor the tapered pivot and tapered louver pivot hole configuration of the present invention.